Heat sink having locking device

ABSTRACT

A heat sink adapter for cooling an electronic component includes a lower plate, an upper plate fixed on the lower plate, and a plurality of heat pipes sandwiched between the lower plate and the upper plate. The lower plate includes a panel, a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from two opposite sides of the panel, and a plurality of flanges extending upwardly from the sidewalls, respectively. The upper plate defines a plurality of cutouts corresponding to the flanges. The flanges fit into the cutouts to position the upper plate on the lower plate, whereby the lower plate and the upper plate are mechanically connected together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat sink, and more particularly to a heat sink having locking device for assembling conveniently.

2. Description of Related Art

The central processing unit (CPU) mounted on the motherboard in a computer is the center of operations of the computer. During the operations of the computer, the CPU produces heat. The heat must be quickly carried away from the CPU during the operations of the computer. Accordingly, a heat sink is used to remove the heat from the CPU.

Conventionally, a heat sink includes a lower plate contacting the CPU, an upper plate fixed on the lower plate, and a plurality of heat pipes sandwiched between the lower plate and the upper plate, for increasing a heat transferring efficiency of the heat sink. The lower plate includes a board soldered with the heat pipes, a pair of sidewalls extending from two opposite lateral sides of the board, and a pair of flanges extending oppositely and horizontally from the pair of sidewalls, respectively. The upper plate is welded on the flanges to combine with the lower plate.

However, in assembly, before the upper plate is welded on the flanges, it needs to be positioned by some clamps firstly to ensure the upper plate can be accurately disposed on the two flanges and fully cover the heat pipes. The clamps increase a total cost of the heat sink and the processes making the clamps are labor-waste.

What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipating device which can overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A heat sink adapter for cooling an electronic component includes a lower plate, an upper plate fixed on the lower plate, and a plurality of heat pipes sandwiched between the lower plate and the upper plate. The lower plate includes a panel, a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from two opposite sides of the panel, and a plurality of flanges extending upwardly from the sidewalls, respectively. The upper plate defines a plurality of cutouts corresponding to the flanges. The flanges fit into the cutouts to position the upper plate on the lower plate, whereby the lower plate and the upper plate are mechanically connected together. Since the lower plate forms the flanges thereon, the upper plate can be guided by the flanges to engage with the lower plate; thus, a convenient assembly of the heat sink is achieved.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present apparatus can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present apparatus. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a heat sink in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an inverted view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a lower plate of the heat sink of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an upper plate of the heat sink of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat sink 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is for being mounted on an electronic component (not shown) to dissipate heat therefrom. The heat sink 10 comprises a lower plate 20, an upper plate 30, a plurality of heat pipes 40 sandwiched between the lower plate 20 and the upper plate 30, and a plurality of fins 50 arranged on the upper plate 30.

Also referring to FIGS. 3-5, the lower plate 20 is made by bending a metal plate, it comprises a rectangular and planar panel 22, a pair of sidewalls 24 extending upwardly and perpendicularly from two opposite lateral sides of the panel 22, and a plurality of identical and rectangular flanges 26 extending upwardly from tops of the pair of sidewalls 24, respectively. The panel 22 is for contacting the electronic component for absorbing heat therefrom. Each sidewall 24 has three flanges 26 evenly spaced formed thereon, wherein two of the three flanges 26 are located at two ends of each sidewall 24, and one of the three flanges 26 is located at a middle of each sidewall 24. A length of each flange 26 is far less than a length of the sidewall 24, and a height of each flange 26 is slightly less than a height of the sidewall 24.

The upper plate 30 is also made by a metal plate, it has a rectangular and planar configuration identical to that of the panel 22 of the lower plate 20. Three cutouts 32 are defined at each lateral side of the upper plate 30 corresponding to the three flanges 26 on each sidewall 24 of the lower plate 20, wherein two cutouts 32 are located at a front and a rear side of the upper plate 30, respectively, and one cutout 32 is located between the two cutouts 32 and at a middle of the lateral side of the upper plate 30. A length of each cutout 32 is similar to that of each flange 26, and a thickness of the upper plate 30 is essentially equal to the height of each flange 26, whereby the flanges 26 can substantially be retained into the cutouts 32, respectively, thereby positioning the upper plate 30 on the lower plate 20. The sidewalls 24, the flanges 26 of the lower plate 20, and the cutouts 32 of the upper plate 30 cooperatively act as a locking device (not labeled) of the heat sink 10 for facilitating an assembly of the heat sink 10.

Each of the fins 50 comprises a rectangular flake (not labeled) and a pair of tabs (not labeled) extending horizontally and perpendicularly from a bottom and a top of the flake, respectively. Lower tabs are soldered on a top face of the upper plate 30 to fix the fins 50 on the upper plate 30. Two lateral parts of the plurality of fins 50 are cut away to form two spaces 52 at two opposite lateral sides of the fins 50.

The heat pipes 40 are sandwiched between the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 20. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention there are four heat pipes 40; however, the number of the heat pipes 40 is adjustable according to amount of heat that the electronic component generates. Two middle ones of the four heat pipes 40 are straight and planar and parallel to each other, two lateral ones of the four heat pipes 40 are planar and each have a straight section 440 parallel to the two middle heat pipes 42, two bended sections 442 extended slantwise and outwardly from two opposite ends of the straight section 440, and an extremity end 446 extending forwardly from a front bended section 442, wherein each bended section 442 defines an angle approximate to 45 degrees with the straight section 440. The four heat pipes 40 are so arranged that the two middle heat pipes 42 abut side-by-side against each other along a lengthwise direction of the lower plate 20, and the two lateral heat pipes 44 are juxtaposed with the two middle heat pipes 42 in a manner that the straight sections 440 thereof directly contact the two middle heat pipes 42, the bended sections 442 are inclinedly spaced from the two middle heat pipes 42, and the extremity ends 446 are gapped from and parallel to the two middle heat pipes 42. A distance from an outmost portion of a rear bended section 442 to an outmost portion of the extremity end 446 is identical to a length of the middle heat pipe 42. A distance between two extremity ends 446 is less than that between two sidewalls 24 of the lower plate 20, whereby when the four heat pipes 40 are fixed on the lower plate 20, the extremity ends 446 would be spaced from the sidewalls 24 to define gaps therebetween, which allow an airflow therethrough to increase heat dissipation of the heat sink 10.

In assembly, the heat pipes 40 are brought to be disposed downwardly on the panel 22 and soldered on the panel 22; then put the upper plate 30 on the lower plate 20 to hold the flanges 26 of the lower plate 20 engaged into the cutouts 32 of the upper plate 30; at last, solder the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 20 together and weld the fins 50 on the upper plate 30.

Compared to the conventional heat sink which needs clamps to position an upper plate on a lower plate, the lower plate 20 of the present invention forms the flanges 26 thereon, which can guide the upper plate 30 to fit with the lower plate 20 as the flanges 26 inserted into the cutouts 32 of the upper plate 30. Therefore, the heat sink 10 does not need any clamps to realize positioning between the lower plate 20 and the upper plate 30, and a total cost is reduced and a labor waste is avoided, accordingly.

It is believed that the present invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention. 

1. A heat sink adapted for cooling an electronic component, comprising: a lower plate comprising a panel, a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the panel, and a plurality of flanges extending upwardly from tops of the pair of sidewalls, respectively; an upper plate defining a plurality of cutouts therein corresponding to the plurality of flanges; and a plurality of heat pipes sandwiched between the lower plate and the upper plate, wherein the plurality of flanges of the lower plate fit into the plurality of cutouts of the upper plate so that the lower plate and the upper are mechanically connected together.
 2. The heat sink as described in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of sidewalls is oriented perpendicular to the panel and coplanar with the flanges located at the same lateral side of the panel.
 3. The heat sink as described in claim 2, wherein each of the sidewalls has three flanges formed thereon, two ones of the three flanges being located at two ends of each of the sidewalls and one of the three flanges being located at a middle of each of the sidewalls.
 4. The heat sink as described in claim 2, wherein each of the cutouts of the upper plate has a length identical to that of each of the plurality of flanges.
 5. The heat sink as described in claim 2, wherein the upper plate has a thickness identical to a height of the each of the plurality of flanges.
 6. The heat sink as described in claim 2, wherein a height of the each of the pair of sidewalls defines a thickness of each of the plurality of heat pipes.
 7. The heat sink as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat pipes directly contact each other and are spaced from the pair of sidewalls of the lower plate.
 8. The heat sink as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat pipes comprises two straight heat pipes and two bended heat pipes sandwiching the two straight heat pipes therebetween.
 9. The heat sink as described in claim 8, wherein each of the two bended heat pipes comprises a straight section juxtaposed and contact with a corresponding straight heat pipe, a pair of bended sections extending slantwise and outwardly from two opposite ends of the straight section, and an extremity end extending from one of the pair of bended sections.
 10. The heat sink as described in claim 9, wherein the pair of bended sections of each of the two bended heat pipes are inclinedly spaced from the two straight heat pipes, and the extremity end is spaced from and parallel to the two straight heat pipes.
 11. A heat sink for dissipating heat from an electronic component, comprising: an upper plate; a lower plate comprising a plurality of flanges inserted into the upper plate to connect with the upper plate; and a plurality of heat pipes sandwiched between the upper plate and the lower plate, wherein the upper plate and the lower plate cooperatively construct a hollow cube and together define a rectangular airflow passage therebetween.
 12. The heat sink as described in claim 11, wherein the lower plate further comprising a panel connecting with the plurality of heat pipes, and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the panel and spaced from the plurality of heat pipes.
 13. The heat sink as described in claim 12, wherein the plurality of flanges are extended upwardly from the pair of sidewalls, the flanges formed on one of the pair of sidewalls being coplanar with the one of the pair of sidewalls.
 14. The heat sink as described in claim 9, wherein the upper plate defines a plurality of cutouts corresponding to the flanges of the lower plate to receive the flanges therein.
 15. The heat sink as described in claim 11, wherein a height of each of the plurality of flanges is identical to a thickness of the upper plate.
 16. The heat sink as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat pipes contact with each other at middle positions thereof, and are partially separated from each other at end positions thereof.
 17. A heat sink, comprising: a lower plate; a upper plate parallel to the lower plate; a plurality of heat pipes sandwiched between the lower and upper plates; two groups of fins sandwiching the lower and upper plates therebetween; and a locking device forming between the lower and upper plates.
 18. The heat sink as described in claim 17, wherein the locking device comprises a pair of sidewalls extending from the two lateral sides of the lower plate and toward the upper plate, and a plurality of spaced tabs extending from the sidewalls.
 19. The heat sink as described in claim 18, wherein the locking device further comprises a plurality of cutouts defining in two lateral sides of the upper plate and corresponding to the tabs of the lower plate, the tabs being engaged in the cutouts.
 20. The heat sink as described in claim 19, wherein the heat pipes contact with each other at middle positions thereof, and are partially separated from each other at end positions thereof. 